Abstract
Luminous bacteria were isolated from oceanic water samples taken throughout the upper 1,000 m and ranged in density from 0.4 to 30 colony-forming units per 100 ml. Generally, two peaks in abundance were detected: one in the upper 100 m of the water column, which consisted primarily of Beneckea spp.; and a second between 250 and 1,000 m, which consisted almost entirely of Photobacterium phosphoreum. The population of P. phosphoreum remained relatively stable in abundance at one station that was visited three times over a period of 6 months. However, the abundance of luminous Beneckea spp. isolated from the upper waters fluctuated considerably; they were, as high as 30 colony-forming units per 100 ml in the spring and were not detected in the winter. Water samples from depths of 4,000 to 7,000 m contained less than 0.1 luminous colony-forming unit per 100 ml. The apparent vertical stratification of two taxa of oceanic luminous bacteria may reflect not only differences in physiology, but also depth-related, species-specific symbiotic associations.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Doudoroff M. Studies on the Luminous Bacteria: I. Nutritional Requirements of Some Species, with Special Reference to Methionine. J Bacteriol. 1942 Oct;44(4):451–459. doi: 10.1128/jb.44.4.451-459.1942. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hastings J. W., Nealson K. H. Bacterial bioluminescence. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1977;31:549–595. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.31.100177.003001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Reichelt J. L., Baumann P., Baumann L. Study of genetic relationships among marine species of the genera Beneckea and Photobacterium by means of in vitro DNA/DNA hybridization. Arch Microbiol. 1976 Oct 11;110(1):101–120. doi: 10.1007/BF00416975. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shilo M., Yetinson T. Physiological characteristics underlying the distribution patterns of luminous bacteria in the mediterranean sea and the gulf of elat. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Oct;38(4):577–584. doi: 10.1128/aem.38.4.577-584.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yetinson T., Shilo M. Seasonal and geographic distribution of luminous bacteria in the eastern mediterranean sea and the gulf of elat. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jun;37(6):1230–1238. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.6.1230-1238.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Yetinson T., Shilo M. Seasonal and geographic distribution of luminous bacteria in the eastern mediterranean sea and the gulf of elat. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1979 Jun;37(6):1230–1238. doi: 10.1128/aem.37.6.1230-1238.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]